Bahrain Grand Prix: money vs human rights?

The World Motor Sport Council – Formula One’s ruling body – is to decide today whether or not to hold the Bahrain Grand Prix in the face of violent suppression of human rights protests in the country.

The oil-rich state was due to host this year’s opening race back in March, but this was postponed due to the anti-government protests and the brutal response by the Gulf kingdom’s authorities. Indeed, according to news reports, a quarter of the staff of the government-owned Bahrain International Circuit, the site of the Grand Prix, have been arrested or dismissed in recent weeks.

Bahrain Grand Prix organisers have asked Formula 1’s governing body to reschedule rather than cancel the race, but voices are being raised against the race.

Human Rights Watch has questioned whether a successful Formula One event could be held in Bahrain, given the ongoing government campaign of arbitrary arrests, detentions and alleged torture.

Now former world champion and current president of the British Racing Drivers’ Club, Damon Hill, has joined the campaign:

This crisis is an opportunity for Formula 1 to show it cares about all people and their human rights. True peace has nothing to do with creating calm through the use of violent repression.

Bahrain has restored order but the methods have been questioned by many reliable journalists and human rights organisations. If Formula 1 agrees to race in Bahrain it will forever have the blight of association with repressive methods to achieve order.

True peace can only be achieved peacefully. The right thing to do, in my view, is to not race in Bahrain until these doubts have been removed.

More concisely, driver Mark Webber has voiced opposition via Twitter:

When people in a country are being hurt, the issues are bigger than sport.

What do you think? Can Formula 1 and ethics mix?

UPDATE: FIA approves return of Bahrain Grand Prix to Formula 1 calendar – BBC.

FURTHER UPDATE: Bahrain police open fire at protesters in capital – AP. (so much for lifting the ‘state of emergency’)


Discover more from Slugger O'Toole

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

We are reader supported. Donate to keep Slugger lit!

For over 20 years, Slugger has been an independent place for debate and new ideas. We have published over 40,000 posts and over one and a half million comments on the site. Each month we have over 70,000 readers. All this we have accomplished with only volunteers we have never had any paid staff.

Slugger does not receive any funding, and we respect our readers, so we will never run intrusive ads or sponsored posts. Instead, we are reader-supported. Help us keep Slugger independent by becoming a friend of Slugger. While we run a tight ship and no one gets paid to write, we need money to help us cover our costs.

If you like what we do, we are asking you to consider giving a monthly donation of any amount, or you can give a one-off donation. Any amount is appreciated.